Leaf vs Ford Focus Electric

[x10guy]

Thanks for all your comments, they were really helpful. I think its great that people have so many different reasons for going electric. For some its the commitment to reducing their carbon footprint, for others its the high tech, or the quiet clean drive, or the reduced dependence on foreign sourced power. The more reasons there arethe more people will be willing to make the change.

So we ended up choosing the FFE as our second car. I look forward to posting an indepth comparison video between our Leaf and FFE, part of which I hope to do a range comparison that drives the cars until one goes totally dead. If anyone is interested helping out and lives in the northern new jersey area, I would love to hear from you.

thanks again

Congrats. I look forward to seeing your real-world comparison. Much of the discussion in this thread was based upon opinion and conjecture, which very often can be correct. But there is nothing like real-world comparison from an ACTUAL owner.

 

[x10guy]

So any update? I know detailed numbers probably aren't realistic but in general how does the FFEV compare with the Leaf?

 

[klusters]

Well I've only driven the FFE so far on the weekends. Until I take it on my normal workroute it will be hard to get an idea of which can is the more efficient and enjoyable day in and day out. But what I can tell you is the following... My wife prefers the FFE, she likes the voice commands and the upmarket interior. She also thinks it has a longer range.
I, on the other hand, prefer the Leaf. It just feels nicer. The interior cabin is roomier, the nav screen is much better, its controls are logical and easier to use. The leaf also gives the driver more feedback on battery usage. Ultimately I feel the car just has more personality.

 

[evnow]

Ultimately I feel the car just has more personality.

That is interesting - since journos are fond of saying, Leaf is an appliance.

 

[argentic]

very interested to hear more!

 

[GRA]

Saw or at least recognized my first FFE in the wild last Friday, when I spotted a white one charging at a local community college. Gabbed with the owner a while. He said he lived on the Peninsula and commuted to Alameda, but had run some errands so wanted a bit extra before heading home across the San Mateo bridge. I asked to see the cargo space, as I wasn't sure if the pictures I've seen here did it justice. Way too shallow height below the seat tops when you need to carry a lot of stuff, as I usually do. He said that he'd looked at the Leaf, but preferred the FFE for the 6.6 kW charger as well as its general performance. Much nicer looking car, IMO.

 

[mazdaboi]

As a current MY12 LEAF owner, I Love the car, we drive it everywhere, alomst 4months old and 5800miles on her. The Focus ELECTRIC is another outstanding car, you loose the storage room in the trunk area, however if you dont need the back seats you can always fold one flat for more storage, additionally the focus has more roof carrier rack options then the current LEAF does. The faster charger and EPA's 76 mile range on the Focus vs 73 on the LEAF is a plus. Most of us get around 80miles on the LEAF with dedicated driving styles however the Focus seems to be slightly more efficient. The Focus you can get 10K off all 2012's from most dealers + adding the 7500 federal tax incentive...is a major plus, significantly dropping the price of the vehicle.

I really look forward to the 2013 LEAF's (range, efficiency and faster charger, with possible price drop) Both are excellent cars, give with one take with another, best part, NO GAS, NO OIL.

Edited: - Congrats on the FOCUS!

 

[BillyM]

Any long term follow ups from OP or others on this comparison? I'm trying to decide between a Leaf SL and FFE.

 

[kubel]

Ultimately I feel the car just has more personality.

That is interesting - since journos are fond of saying, Leaf is an appliance.

The LEAF has a mushy suspension and nearly zero steering feedback. I think the description "appliance" fits well. If they worked on these two areas to make a more sporty feel, the LEAF would have a totally different personality. I really do hope they make a Sports variant of the LEAF soon.

What sold me on the LEAF and not the FFE (aside from price) was the interior room. The LEAF totally blows the FFE out of the water when it comes to interior space. Knee room is important to me. The FFE makes my knees feel claustrophobic- and it's like that with every modern Ford branded car from the Fiesta all the way up to the Taurus.

But the FFE is a funner (yes, funner) car. It's just not practical or comfortable for me.

 

[abasile]

The lack of Quick Charging on the FFE could be a serious negative, particularly as the QC infrastructure grows. On the other hand, the FFE's battery pack should degrade a bit less in the Northern Virginia summer heat thanks to its liquid cooling which the LEAF does not have.

However, if you could keep the LEAF's battery pack relatively cool by routinely avoiding parking for hours in direct summer sunlight and by parking outside on summer nights for maximum cooling, then I think you'd find liquid battery cooling to be unnecessary in that climate. If you lease, then it's also a non-issue. Given a willingness to either keep the car as cool as possible or to lease, I think the decision is a no-brainer in favor of the LEAF. Nissan seems to be very committed to its EV program over the long haul whereas Ford seems lukewarm.

Edit: I just realized that Northern VA is the location of a MY '12 LEAF owner, not our most recent FFE vs. LEAF inquirer. Providing your location enables others to provide better advice.

 

[cgaydos]

Any long term follow ups from OP or others on this comparison? I'm trying to decide between a Leaf SL and FFE.

We test drove an FFE before getting our second LEAF. My personal impression was that they were remarkably similar... there were differences in the details but in the big picture you could easily see one being a substitute for the other. If you were to assert that the FFE was more fun to drive I wouldn't argue, but I would suggest it wasn't that big a difference. I do prefer the cargo room setup better on the 2011/2012 LEAF - and probably would on the 2013. The FFE navigation/monitor system apparently is controversial and we realized it would take some time to learn it, but I wouldn't say the LEAF navigation/monitor system was first rate either. Back seats seem better for adult passengers in the LEAF.

Ultimately our decision to go with the LEAF came down to two points. First, basically everyone in the family, drivers and non-drivers alike, came away preferring the LEAF by a little or a lot. Second, despite really good manufacturer lease incentives I couldn't get a Ford dealer to come anywhere near the kind of prices I'm seeing on LEAFs.

So, if you think the FFE is worth quite a bit more than the LEAF, I'd suggest going with that. But as I saw them as rough equivalents I went for the better priced vehicle.

I'm not sure that Nissan has an advantage over Ford regarding service/support for the LEAF vs. FFE. Ford dealerships have LOTS of experience with hybrids and from what I saw they were quickly getting used to PHEVs and the FFE quickly. Some Nissan dealerships have taken strong leadership positions with the LEAF, but those appear to be in the minority and in the high demand states, mostly on the west coast. The local Nissan dealerships I deal with have very little BEV *or* Hybrid experience.

 

[cwerdna]

Any long term follow ups from OP or others on this comparison? I'm trying to decide between a Leaf SL and FFE.

Can you update your location info via User Control Panel (near top) > Profile (left side)? That way, we don't need to ask in future posts/threads or do sleuthing to deduce it.

If you have lots of CHAdeMO DC fast chargers in your area and you plan to take the EV on long trips, the Leaf would be the clear winner.

You planning to lease or buy? If you live in a hot climate, you definitely don't want to buy a Leaf. Leasing it could be sketchy if you need a lot of range...

What are you daily driving needs in terms of miles? How much city vs. highway? Will you have the ability to charge at your work/destinations? The answer might be neither car...